You expect it from Juan Pierre. You expect it from Derek Jeter. But Nick Johnson? A bunt single? Come on.

Strange things happen at Yankee Stadium in October, but last night it had nothing to do with mystique or aura. Rather, it had to do with Johnson, a 6-foot-3, 224-pound first baseman, pulling off the game’s surprise hit in the Yankees’ 6-1 jaunt over the Marlins.

Johnson, the No. 8 hitter, came to bat in the second inning, none on, one out. The infield was playing at normal depth and why not? Johnson isn’t exactly a burner.

Which is why what happened next was so stunning. As Mark Redman’s pitch sailed in, Johnson suddenly brought his bat forward, then let the barrel hang in the zone for a moment. He proceeded to nestle a bunt along the third-base line so perfectly, it would have made Ichiro Suzuki jealous.

“I didn’t even think about it until I looked around the field,” Johnson said. “I saw [Mike] Lowell back at third and I said, ‘What the hell? I’ll try it.’ Put it down and see what happens.”

What happened was that Lowell, clearly caught off guard, attempted to barehand the roller, but the ball slipped off his hand and stayed on the grass. Even if Lowell had scooped it up cleanly, though, it’s doubtful he would have been able to nip Johnson, who was chugging down the line.

“I think [I caught them off guard],” Johnson admitted. “I don’t do it that often.”

In addition to handing the Marlins a taste of their own light-hitting medicine – we can play small ball, too, Johnson’s hit seemed to say – the bunt also got Johnson going. He finished with three hits and two runs scored, not bad considering he began the night with a .163 postseason average.

Unfortunately, Johnson appears to be getting hot at the most inopportune time. Now that the series shifts to Florida, there’s no DH, and Johnson looks to be the odd man out as Jason Giambi will play first base.

“Nick Johnson can do a lot of things,” Joe Torre said, “But Giambi’s the guy that really we need to have in the middle of the lineup.”

For now, Johnson will reside on the bench, where he’ll await Torre’s call if he needs a pinch hit. Or, for that matter, a bunt along the line.